| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| NimrodsSon |
Posted - 02/21/2004 : 11:52:14
Any lucky bastards here that got to go or are planning on going? From the reviews I've read it sounds like it was absolutely amazing, contrary to what many people were expecting to be a horrible attempt at recreating a lost masterpiece. I can't wait for a recording to surface! Anyways I'd love to see some reviews if any of you went.
ˇViva los Católicos! |
| 35 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| klikger |
Posted - 05/19/2004 : 01:57:05
Wow, that's great news. I figured he'd probably make some kind of Smile recording, but I thought it'd be a live show. |
| El Barto |
Posted - 05/18/2004 : 13:55:55
Interesting...can't wait to see what it becomes. I still would love to see a box set of all the old SMiLE sessions.
Boycott cults and t's |
| NimrodsSon |
Posted - 05/18/2004 : 12:55:46
GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!
This is from www.brianwilson.com so it's official, not just a rumor:
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BRIAN WILSON READIES ALL-NEW RECORDING OF LEGENDARY "SMILE"
Long-awaited Masterpiece to be Released by Nonesuch Records on September 28
Recording Follows Triumphant "SMILE" Performances in Europe With U.S. Tour Planned For The Fall
Thirty-seven years after its anticipated release, an all-new studio recording of SMiLE - often referred to as the most famous unreleased album in history - will be made available worldwide by Nonesuch Records on September 28, 2004. SMiLE will be produced by Brian Wilson and will feature the ten-member band that has supported him on tour over the past five years, augmented by The Stockholm Strings and Horns.
Wilson and lyricist Van Dyke Parks, who collaborated on the original SMiLE session in 1966-67, listened together to the 37-year old tapes in November 2003, following Brian's announcement of his intention to complete and perform SMiLE in a series of concerts in London. Acting as Brian and Van DykeŐs musical secretary, Darian Sahanaja, of Wilson's touring band, began preparing the music for performance. This led to Wilson and Parks creating new material to make the concerts possible.
The public premiere of the finished SMiLE took place at the Royal Festival Hall in London on February 20, 2004 to overwhelming response. The Los Angeles Times said: "What we do know now is that Wilson and Parks created a glorious piece of music whose grand ambition is outstripped only by its inherent beauty and cumulative power." In London, The Guardian referred to SMiLE's "groundbreaking complexity and sophistication" and wrote it seemed "the grandest of American symphonies," while the Daily Telegraph added, "Leonard Bernstein once proclaimed Brian Wilson one of the greatest composers of the 20th century: he was not wrong." The Independent summarized the feeling in the hall: Ňwe knew weŐd witnessed a miracle of sorts."
Wilson is currently finishing the new recording of SMiLE at Los Angeles' Sunset Sound studio.
2004 promises to be the year of Brian Wilson. In addition to SMiLE, Wilson is releasing his first solo studio album in over six years, Gettin' In Over My Head (street date: 6/22) which features guest appearances by Eric Clapton, Elton John, Paul McCartney and his late brother Carl Wilson. He intends to perform music from both albums this summer on a UK and European tour and will embark on a U.S. tour in the fall.
Earlier this month Brian Wilson was named a BMI ICON recipient. Wilson is the first songwriter to receive both the PresidentŐs Award and the ICON award.
Additionally, Wilson, along with the late composer/conductor/arranger Henry Mancini, and violinist Sarah Chang will be the 2004 Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame inductees. The opening night concert on Friday, June 25 will feature performances by Wilson and Chang, special appearances by Music Matters spokesperson Josh Groban, Andy Williams, Monica Mancini, and Wilson Phillips, as well as other surprise guests.
ˇViva los Católicos! |
| NimrodsSon |
Posted - 03/29/2004 : 12:34:50
BASTARD!!!
ˇViva los Católicos! |
| El Barto |
Posted - 03/29/2004 : 11:07:15
Oh man! I want that red SMiLE tee! OH MAN HE'S GONNA BE PLAYING LONDON WHILE I'M IN ENGLAND! Oh god I gotta get tickets! Thanks Bill!
On a similarly related note, I'm learning how to play Surf's Up on piano...thus teaching me somewhat how to play piano. It's very exciting!
 "Join the Cult of Brit / And let your oral hygiene go out the window." |
| billgoodman |
Posted - 03/29/2004 : 10:15:28
Brian Wilson is doing more of these 'exclusive' Smile dates
www.brianwilson.com
 "I joined the Cult of Frank/Nobody wanted to join my Culf" |
| NimrodsSon |
Posted - 03/16/2004 : 12:16:35
That is absolutely hilarious...the hardest I've laughed in weeks!
ˇViva los Católicos! |
| Broken Face |
Posted - 03/16/2004 : 10:50:55
oh man, that is fantastic
-brian
 - "I joined the Cult of Frank / And they tried to cut off my nuts and make me put in a blue jumpsuit"
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| billgoodman |
Posted - 03/16/2004 : 00:44:24
quote:
Originally posted by El Barto
That's hilarious! Funny cause it's true. The fact that he believed that Pet Sounds was "ego music" and told Brian not to "fuck with the formula" proves that he has no artistic integrity what-so-ever. Real artists grow and evolve.
"Join the Cult of Brit / And let your oral hygiene go out the window."
http://www.itsthego.com/features/whyihatemikelove/
this one is even harder
"I joined the Cult of Frank/Nobody wanted to join my Culf" |
| El Barto |
Posted - 03/15/2004 : 19:02:56
That's hilarious! Funny cause it's true. The fact that he believed that Pet Sounds was "ego music" and told Brian not to "fuck with the formula" proves that he has no artistic integrity what-so-ever. Real artists grow and evolve.
"Join the Cult of Brit / And let your oral hygiene go out the window." |
| Broken Face |
Posted - 03/15/2004 : 09:08:45
brilliant...both the wilson show and the love bashing
-brian
- "I joined the Cult of Frank / And they tried to cut off my nuts and make me put in a blue jumpsuit"
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| billgoodman |
Posted - 03/15/2004 : 05:57:40
http://vhost.oddcast.com/vhost_minisite/?email=1&ss=104492&sl=344837&acc=93&e
For all you mike love haters out there
"I joined the Cult of Frank/Nobody wanted to join my Culf" |
| billgoodman |
Posted - 03/15/2004 : 01:12:20
He can re-record some bits of course
the lyrics and music they came up with last year
(with van dyke)
but all the other things...
I think they should stick with what's already recorded in 1966
I have to say that I don't want a Smile '66/'67
since it was never completed
you can't expect that what he's doing now leads to the same thing as it would have in 1967
so it's alright to have a smile 2004, but to re-record everything goes a little bit too far
"I joined the Cult of Frank/Nobody wanted to join my Culf" |
| El Barto |
Posted - 03/14/2004 : 20:57:39
This high quality recording is great...I'm with you bill. I thought this would be kinda like "eh..." but wow...wow...I was wrong. It's fucking amazing to finally hear it all flow together. I *cannot* get Barnyard out of my head! The lead vocal is fucking amazing, the melody is amazing. The "Look" link track with vocals...wow. I just wish Brian's vocals were better...that would really seal the deal. The album is supposed to come out in the fall apparently, but at this point now one is really sure if it's a re-recording or the original recordings.
"Join the Cult of Brit / And let your oral hygiene go out the window." |
| remig |
Posted - 03/14/2004 : 09:30:42
Now it's 18:16 here in Paris, France and I've got one hour and half to wait for Brian Wilson performing Smile...
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| billgoodman |
Posted - 03/14/2004 : 09:18:19
Man ohhh man it was great
nothing more to say
I knew all the smile songs from bootlegs
but
this was way way better
I was afraid they would blew it
but they attached all the great parts together
(like combining the singles Heroes and Villains and Good Vibrations with the smile versions of that one)
Great
can't wait for the DVD and CD of it
"I joined the Cult of Frank/Nobody wanted to join my Culf" |
| offerw |
Posted - 03/13/2004 : 23:40:23
I agree with anyone thinking Pet Sounds is a classic. One of the best albums EVER. I cannot wait to hear Smile, I've only downloaded a few tracks here and there so far, they're great. When does Smile get released? |
| El Barto |
Posted - 03/13/2004 : 20:11:30
http://www.sharingthegroove.org/msgboard/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49582
Also available here.
"Join the Cult of Brit / And let your oral hygiene go out the window." |
| El Barto |
Posted - 03/13/2004 : 20:04:04
Awesome, I can't wait. There are also recordings of the 2/22 and 2/27 shows available on the Beach Boys MP3 newsgroups. I'll be downloading this version, just signed up. Thanks!
"Join the Cult of Brit / And let your oral hygiene go out the window." |
| NimrodsSon |
Posted - 03/13/2004 : 16:40:57
For anyone interested, a very good DAT recording in lossless format is finally up on bt.easytree.org
You have to sign up and give them your real email address (because they send you a comfirmation email) before you can download it.
ˇViva los Católicos! |
| GoddessTheory |
Posted - 02/27/2004 : 13:20:40
quote:
Originally posted by billgoodman
I have much of the SMILE songs and I love them
I'm going 13 march here in Amsterdam
send us good vibrations!
"I joined the Cult of Frank/Nobody wanted to join my Culf"
Jop, if you are the one in Amsterdam, I am sure you don't need US to send you good vibrations. You should be vibrating quite goodly by the time the concert starts!!! |
| gavredmaxx |
Posted - 02/27/2004 : 12:48:12
Went last night. I urge you, if you get a chance - even half a chance to see this show please go. And as for tears, if you make it through "God Only Knows" dry then you might want to check for a pulse! 'Smile' you'll know all about by now - really quite amazing stuff. I was quite surprised though by how much FUN it was to watch live - despite some of the reviews I'd read, the band and Brian himself all seemed to be really enjoying the whole thing, and the geek in me loved the fun nods to Wilson-lore - like getting the string section to wear toy fireman hats and pass around vegetables when appropriate..
As an overall show though, I've got the Pet Sounds live and Brian Wilson on tour DVDs and have seen a fair bit of footage of recent shows, but none of it can prepare you for just how astounding this band sound live. The sound created is so incredible - so beautiful that you leave genuinely amazed.
Gav
"If this were really happening… what would you think? "
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| Adnan_le_Terrible |
Posted - 02/26/2004 : 12:17:09
Who knows?
Perhaps I will cry when I see this guy :
I already cried when I had to pay the tickets 88 euros each : 176 euros (about 220 usd). I cried like a baby, really.
Have some wine, please, don't run away. |
| benji |
Posted - 02/26/2004 : 01:58:47
there was also a BIG article in last nights Evening Standard.
they reviewer talked about how he cried and the guy next to him cried and that musically is was and an 'OK' concert, but spiritually it was mindblowing.
except he took up 1 whole page to say it.
 "I joined the Cult of Frank / I think that man deserves a DB!" |
| Ten Percenter |
Posted - 02/25/2004 : 11:45:49
Another review, this time from the Observer:
Brian Wilson's long-lost classic had its first airing in 38 years on Friday. Was it worth the wait?
Caspar Llewellyn Smith
Sunday February 22, 2004
The Observer
Brian Wilson
Royal Festival Hall, London
It was the Holy Grail of rock music, the album that would have knocked spots off Sergeant Pepper had it ever been released. Famously, Brian Wilson abandoned making Smile in 1966 once the Hawaiian grass that he had been smoking in a tepee in his living room convinced him that his masterpiece just wasn't right for the times. Tracks from the sessions did surface in various guises: 'Good Vibrations' and a truncated version of 'Heroes and Villains' as smash hit Beach Boys singles; 'Vege-Tables' in a different mix on the group's half-cocked LP Smiley Smile; the extraordinary 'Do You Like Worms' on a 1993 box set. But even those with bootlegs purporting to contain much original material had never heard Smile as Wilson and his collaborator Van Dyke Parks seem originally to have conceived it - not until its first live performance at the Royal Festival Hall on Friday night.
It might be said straight away that it was an evening that validated claims made on behalf of Wilson's genius, and went as far as it could have, perhaps, to standing up the legend of the record. But the extraordinary warmth with which the audience greeted Wilson's appearance - standing ovation followed standing ovation throughout - was also a reflection of all sorts of conflicting impulses. Chief among these was gratitude, mixed with relief, for the fact that we should ever have heard this music, as the very making of Smile had precipitated its 24-year-old progenitor's descent into decades of mental turmoil.
It was only with the encouragement of his wife, Melinda, and key associates such as Darian Sahanaja of Los Angeles group the Wondermints that Wilson toured with Pet Sounds two years ago, the masterpiece he made before embarking on Smile, an event that paved the way for this. Then, he still seemed a painfully fragile figure, and tonight he fluffed his introduction to several songs, while the band encouraged the audience to demonstrate their love for him vocally throughout the first half. That half also saw him tantalising the crowd of obsessives unforgivably, as he didn't launch straight into the main event. Rather, the curtain lifted to reveal a pallid figure clad in black who resembled no one so much as Tony Soprano, surrounded by 10 henchmen dedicated to his protection. This extended to covering for Wilson as he struggled with the harmonies on an opening acoustic set and then full band versions of classics and more recent numbers.
Part of the appeal of Brian Wilson's music has always been its vulnerability, and songs such as 'In My Room' and 'God Only Knows', which did their proverbial shiver-down-the-spine thing, bettered the sympathy felt for him when he hesitantly interrupted the scripted banter of the band. But the Wondermints themselves sounded uncharacteristically heavy in the beat, and even 'California Girls', with which Wilson wrote a poetic advertisement for a New World where Annette Funicello lay at the furthest extremity of civilisation with a pot of board wax, sounded almost fashioned for a Going Places commercial.
It was with Smile that Wilson's ambitions really soared, and with the help of his lyricist Parks, who was in the audience tonight and cheered wildly himself, he set out to create a work that celebrated the innocence of a new nation: songs segued into each other, the portrait of the Wild West that was 'Heroes and Villains' melting into 'Do You Like Worms' with its poetic allusion to the Pilgrim fathers; then on, via 'Barnyard' and 'The Old Master Painter' to 'Cabinessence'.
The scribbled notes of this reviewer, accounting for the rest of the performance as it encompassed 'Surf's Up' and tracks known to bootleggers as 'The Elements Suite', contain umpteen exclamation marks, relating both to oddities in the expected sequencing of the show and, finally, the brilliance of the band. Smile was revealed as a majestic work, full of warmth and playfulness. And, most satisfyingly, the string and horn sections that joined the ensemble adopted firemen's helmets for 'Mrs O'Leary's Cow', following the example of the musicians who made the original recording.
Inevitably, the obsessives will quibble: it was wrong to end with 'Good Vibrations', however perfectly rendered. When Wilson then shuffled off stage, he gave every suggestion that the entire experience had been akin to pulling teeth.
But of course, the reason why Smile has been so mythologised is precisely because it never did exist: perhaps passages and refrains were repeated from one song to the next as they were tonight, because Wilson wanted to create an epic tone poem, and perhaps it was because he was so muddled by pot that he never settled on definitive versions of different tracks. The Smile that the Festival Hall heard could never have been the Smile of 1966, and to fans the point is that, until now, they have been free to imagine their own version, a record of unparalleled and numinous beauty that would have changed musical history. But this seemed as close to an echt version as we are ever likely to have, and as such was very heaven.
No man is an island, unless he is in the bath |
| Dave Noisy |
Posted - 02/25/2004 : 10:52:40
I got it, no worries..
Looking forward to the originals as well...
 Join the Cult of the Flying Pigxies - I'm A Believer! |
| bedrock_barney |
Posted - 02/25/2004 : 01:46:34
The Independent reviewed his show yesterday. Sounded like a good one:
http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/reviews/story.jsp?story=494464
Text of review:
Brian Wilson, Royal Festival Hall London
There's plenty to smile about
By Keith Shadwick
24 February 2004
In early 1967, when Jimi Hendrix was in London laying down the blueprint for rock's future on Are You Experienced?, the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson was in LA rapidly losing his grip on Smile, the epic follow-up album to his acknowledged masterpiece, 1966's Pet Sounds. When Hendrix sang in "Third Stone from the Sun", "May you never hear surf music again", he was not to know how quickly his wish would be granted. By the end of 1967, The Beach Boys were virtually forgotten a year after the triumphant innovations of Good Vibrations. What happened?
Wilson, along with his friend, the lyricist Van Dyke Parks, had conceived in Smile a project so vast in scope and ambition that it needed every bit of luck coming its way. And for a few months in late 1966 all was fair sailing: with "Good Vibrations" already in the bag, such pieces as "Heroes & Villains", "Wind Chimes", "Wonderful", "Cabinessence", "Surf's Up" and "Vegetables" were conceived and intensively worked on. But for Wilson, the idea of simply making an album's worth of tunes was inadequate: he wanted to present a unified LP that interwove all its themes and ideas in a continual renewal of idea and melody. Facing personal, professional and artistic difficulties, Wilson faltered, delayed completion, then finally announced Smile's abandonment. Those in the know, as well as long-term Beach Boys fans, have regarded this ever since as an incalculable loss to rock's legacy, and over the years successive isolated snippets and fragments of the original work in sub-sequent Beach Boys albums occasioned critical wailing and gnashing of teeth about what might have been.
Now, however, Brian Wilson decided it was time to confront the past and complete Smile. During this process, in late 2003 he re-engaged with lyricist Van Dyke Parks and set about finishing Smile. The results of this long labour were revealed at the Royal Festival Hall on 20 February 2004 - 37 years on.
Even before the music started, things got off to a good start: Wilson's guests, including Van Dyke Parks himself, were given a standing ovation as they made their way to their seats. The group was revealed standing, camp-fire style, on one side of the stage, circled around a seated Wilson. It was a great way to start the evening, allowing everyone - but most importantly Wilson - to feel their way into things. Wilson sat centre-stage behind a keyboard he hardly touched, reading the autocue for every song as he tried to overcome his natural shyness. Yet all eyes were on him. It was as if we had all become participants in his private vision of how the music worked. And boy, how it worked: each old hit was meticulously reinvoked (down to the smallest tambourine stroke) with huge gusto by the young and frighteningly accomplished group.
This came into play even more in the concert's second half, when Smile was finally revealed to the world. It caught even the most assiduous fan unawares, for Smile was much bigger than the sum of its parts - a collection of songs and fragments fitted together to give a huge musical panorama.
Smile was shaped into three song suites, each with linking material. The first comprised: "Our Prayer", "Heroes & Villains", "Do You Like Worms", "Barnyard, "Old Master Painter"/"You Are My Sunshine" and "Cabinessence". The second comprised: "Wonderful", "Child is Father to the Man", "Surf's Up" and Smile's third and concluding part was the fabled "Elements" suite using transitional passages including "Holiday", followed immediately by "Good Vibrations", which wound up the concert with a new and dramatic staccato rhythmic pattern, voices and instruments in climactic unison. The crowd was instantly on its feet giving a standing ovation replete with ecstatic cheers and whistles. A visibly dazed Wilson eventually stood up from behind his keyboards, bent over to his microphone and said in a distracted whisper: "Good night everybody, drive safely", and made as if to leave. At that, band member Jeff Foscombe, who had substituted for Wilson most of the evening when it came to on-stage patter, walked quickly over to him and spoke in his ear. Wilson once more bent to the microphone, this time asking Van Dyke Parks to join the group onstage. The crowd went nuts, and the diminutive, bow-tied Parks emerged from the wings looking as if he was walking on air. He probably was. Everyone else in the RFH certainly was; we knew we'd witnessed a miracle of sorts.
Readers who want to see Wilson conjure this miracle at the RFH have tonight, tomorrow, and Friday before his show moves out of London. I would hazard a guess that something more will come of all this - perhaps a CD or even a DVD commemorating Smile's latter-day second coming. Only 37 years late. Rock history revisionists are going to have a field day.
 "The Pixies are reforming?? / I say bring back Abba, ahaaa!!!" |
| El Barto |
Posted - 02/24/2004 : 14:20:28
Amazing, absolutely amazing...I think it's much better that they're releasing the old version instead of re-recording it. I can't help but wonder if they recorded vocals for "Look" and some of the other vocal parts, or if they ended up re-recording them. I can't wait to hear it, no less. It does kind of close a chapter, though...the mystery behind the tracklisting and everything is now gone. I may very well have a new favorite album of all time come Fall.
"Join the Cult of Brit / And let your oral hygiene go out the window." |
| NimrodsSon |
Posted - 02/24/2004 : 13:57:06
Dave, it hasn't been working for me either and I just tried it like 15 minutes ago and it worked so just keep trying and it should work. It only took 4 minutes too for me.
ˇViva los Católicos! |
| Dave Noisy |
Posted - 02/24/2004 : 13:54:18
Yeah, just read that..
Damn, the BT ain't working....
Join the Cult of the Flying Pigxies - I'm A Believer! |
| mdisanto |
Posted - 02/24/2004 : 09:42:09
well pitchfork says wilson is gonna release the original smile, well i guess he finished it, and now its going to come up as the definitive version
-miked |
| remig |
Posted - 02/24/2004 : 09:34:55
3 weeks and I'll see Brian Wilson in Paris. I can't wait anymore.
Adnan, you have great taste too!
I've got almost all the albums until Light Album.
my fave are Pet, Friends, Surf's Up, Sunflower and the Today/Summer days (and summer night) twofer.
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| noexx |
Posted - 02/23/2004 : 19:49:05
surf's up has some good stuff....as well as sunflower...and smiley smile...
all have later recorded versions of smile snippets.....
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| billgoodman |
Posted - 02/23/2004 : 14:51:31
there are shitty versions of the song wonderful all over the place. But there's one version, with most of the time brian and a harpischord and it's my favourite beach boys track.
"I joined the Cult of Frank/Nobody wanted to join my Culf" |
| El Barto |
Posted - 02/23/2004 : 14:18:23
Pet Sounds is most definitely the best album ever recorded...now, I can't help but wonder what a finished SMiLE would have been, considering it was supposed to top Pet Sounds...and I bet it would have. I've downloaded tons and tons and tons of SMiLE bootlegs. If you guys have access to binary newsgroups (with good retention rates), there's a lot of SMiLE stuff available on alt.binaries.sounds.mp3.beach-boys. Some really good albums compiled by fans. I'm listened to tracks off of "DJ Mic Luv's SMiLE" right now and they're remixed REALLY well, with bits of chatter that they recorded when Brian had the "comedy album" concept going. Really good stuff..
"Join the Cult of Brit / And let your oral hygiene go out the window." |
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